DeVito’s Patriots notebook: Week 16 vs Jets

One of the toughest things about preparing for a team who has nothing to lose is that you never really know what to expect. Onside kicks, fake punts, trick plays; it is possible that New England will see some or all of these today. A heightened awareness, especially during special teams situations, is going to be critical for the Pats today because I’m assuming the Jets know they would need to convert on these types of plays to be able to have a chance to win this game.

Don’t Expect The Jets to Roll Over.

Some of the stuff we have seen coming out of New York has certainly painted the picture of a team that has given up. But I know from my 6-years with the Jets that if we finished 2-14 but those two win were against the Patriots we had a successful season. New England needs to be ready for a typical AFC East battle today against a team who would love nothing more than to beat them before heading home for the off season.

Offensive Line Needs to be Ready

The Jets have their issues but this defensive line is still one of the best in the NFL. Mo Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams (7 Sacks), are all pro bowl caliber players who can change a game. The Jets are holding teams to under a 100 yards rushing per game and have the ability to put serious pressure on QB’s when they want to. New England’s offensive line has been incredible all year and shouldn’t have any issues but this is one match up that I’m going to keep my eyes on today because it should be a good battle.

Mike DeVito (@MikeDeVito70) is a 9-year NFL veteran, playing with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. He is an alum of the University of Maine, color analyst for Black Bears football on TV and is a co-host on The Drive, weekdays 4pm-6pm on 92.9fm The Ticket and streaming live at DriveShowMaine.com. Follow us on Twitter, @DriveShowmaine and “Like Us” on Facebook, Drive Show Maine.